New district judge eager to embrace challenges

CEDAR RAPIDS - If Chad Kepros hadn't become a lawyer and now a district judge, he may have been an occupational therapist or a sociologist, which was his major as an undergraduate.

Kepros, 43, of North Liberty, the newest 6th Judicial District judge, says he's always been a problem solver, and he reasons the legal and therapist careers all provide a process to help people overcome conflict or challenges. And his sociology background, he believes, gives him a better understanding of the cross-section of people he sees in the courtroom.

‘People surprise you'

Kepros was nominated twice for a judgeship by the State Judicial Nominating Commission before being appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad in February.

He said he told the commission he felt it was important for a judge to be well-rounded and 'not be disconnected from the people we are serving.”

'Many times, if people are under pressure, they react in different ways, and the judge has to set the tone and deal with them,” Kepros said. 'You have to understand where they (defendants) come from and that not everyone is like you. And many times, people surprise you in a good way.”

Kepros has experience dealing with people from varied backgrounds after being a family law attorney, focusing on mediation, for 19 years with Bray and Klockau in Iowa City. He also was a magistrate in Johnson County for two years, which he says helped prepare him for the district bench.

Kepros says the long hours and large caseloads of a judge don't bother him. He enjoys writing opinions and always has been a multitasker, even from his college days when he held down seven or eight part-time jobs at one time.

Those jobs included being a DJ for a public radio jazz station - the only kind of music he dislikes - a youth counselor, writing consultant, summer resident adviser for Japanese exchange students and shift manager at a pizza place.

Kepros graduated from Coe College and received his law degree from the University of Iowa.

Ready to Work

He says he's ready to dig in to the District Court's work after being off the schedule for a few weeks to attend a state judicial conference and then vacation with his wife, Holly, in Hawaii to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.

'I won't be really comfortable (as a judge) for quite a long time because I'm still learning, and every day is something new,” Kepros said. 'I enjoy that part of the job and sometimes fear it. But I work with such a great group of judges who are hardworking and really good people who are willing to help me.”

The 6th Judicial District includes Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Tama counties.